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BY: RORY SPEARS, EDITOR & DIRECTOR OF CONTENT

KYLE KOCHEVAR with the Patriot All America Trophy

The Folds of Honor sponsored Patriot All America tournament recently played in Phoenix was won by Kyle Kochevar.

Kochevar who played his high school golf at west suburban Glenbard West, is now a member of the University of Virginia Cavaliers golf team. Kochevar is a Redshirt-Junior so he has this spring and two more seasons with the now 8th ranked in country, Cavaliers.

The Patriot All America Tournament is just that, a tournament that is played by golfers who have made All-American status at any level of college golf or through AJGA.

This year the tournament that is sponsored by the Folds of Honor Association, had 85 players come to Phoenix, for a 54 hole tournament played at the Wigwam Golf Club.

The first two days of the championship the temperatures were normal for that time of year in Arizona, the low 60’s. But things changed for the third and final round. The field of 85 players had to battle not only high temperatures of 45 degrees, but winds that gusted between 20-30 Mph.

Headed into the final round Kochevar had some ground to make up. But knowing that some of players in the field weren’t excited about the conditions, the native of cold weather in Illinois golf felt like he could make a charge being only three shots back at the start of the round.

Kochevar’s confidence could have been shattered right off the first green when he bogeyed the first hole. From there he settled down and went on to a round of 68, which as it turns out, was not the best round of the day. When Kochevar finished, his dad Dan Kochevar one of the best IPGA teachers in Illinois told him that he might be in a playoff.

A player who started the day behind Kochevar had rallied, and was in position to win the championship until Kochevar posted his 68 to tie him.

Kyle Kochevar works on his game this week at the White Pines Golf Dome in Bensenville.

The 36 hole leader fell back under the cold and windy conditions, so Kochevar headed out for a 2-man playoff. One that went two holes.

Kochevar won the playoff with a par, when his opponent got as Kochevar says, “a little unlucky with his par putt.”

With the conditions being what they were, Kochevar says the key to his final round score was his short game. He was able to get up and down from around the green on multiple occasions. During the tournament all 85 players carried a golf bag with the name of a fallen hero embroidered on the bag. The bags are auctioned off and the money goes to the Folds of Honor Foundation for scholarships children of military members.

Click hear to hear an interview with Kyle Kochevar.

Kochevar won a trophy with a model of the new X-35 fighter jet on top. He gets a fighter pilots jacket with his name on it. As part of their coverage that was saluting our veterans over the holidays, ESPN was on hand at the tournament and showed Kochevar on Sportscenter. Next week Kochevars holiday break will be over, and he will head back to Virginia, hoping to help the Cavaliers make it to the NCAA National Championship in May.